Comments on: Direct shipping, cork, bad food pairings and sake gets bumped — tasting sized pours http://www.drvino.com/2007/06/07/direct-shipping-cork-bad-food-pairings-and-sake-gets-bumped-tasting-sized-pours/ wine talk that goes down easy Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:08:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Alex http://www.drvino.com/2007/06/07/direct-shipping-cork-bad-food-pairings-and-sake-gets-bumped-tasting-sized-pours/#comment-9750 Alex Tue, 12 Jun 2007 21:39:43 +0000 http://drvino.com/2007/06/07/direct-shipping-cork-bad-food-pairings-and-sake-gets-bumped-tasting-sized-pours/#comment-9750 "Wine beats beer" in America ~ Ha, same trend in Germany and well, we have some rather good beers, indeed. Thanks ;) “Wine beats beer” in America ~ Ha, same trend in Germany and well, we have some rather good beers, indeed.

Thanks
;)

]]> By: Dr. Vino http://www.drvino.com/2007/06/07/direct-shipping-cork-bad-food-pairings-and-sake-gets-bumped-tasting-sized-pours/#comment-9439 Dr. Vino Fri, 08 Jun 2007 18:30:18 +0000 http://drvino.com/2007/06/07/direct-shipping-cork-bad-food-pairings-and-sake-gets-bumped-tasting-sized-pours/#comment-9439 Good points. When that poll came out, I thought it was cute but wondered about the value. Wine is growing and beer is flat, that's the story. But just look at the sales figures. I wouldn't be surprised if one beer brand easily eclipses all of wine... Good points. When that poll came out, I thought it was cute but wondered about the value. Wine is growing and beer is flat, that’s the story. But just look at the sales figures. I wouldn’t be surprised if one beer brand easily eclipses all of wine…

]]> By: Jess Sand http://www.drvino.com/2007/06/07/direct-shipping-cork-bad-food-pairings-and-sake-gets-bumped-tasting-sized-pours/#comment-9431 Jess Sand Fri, 08 Jun 2007 15:58:39 +0000 http://drvino.com/2007/06/07/direct-shipping-cork-bad-food-pairings-and-sake-gets-bumped-tasting-sized-pours/#comment-9431 Well, I have to take serious issue with the Slate article. I am a huge fan of both beer and wine (I don't discriminate!) and I'm continually stunned by the misunderstnading and misinformation that is constantly pumped out by both sides. To speak directly to the "wine is more popular than beer" point that you mention, that statement is so misleading as to be false. The 2005 poll cited by Slate was upended in 2006, when the numbers flipped and beer once again became "more popular" than wine. But let's be honest: stats and polls are awfully easy to manipulate. For example, that 2006 gallup poll declares that 41% of respondents prefer beer while 33% prefer wine. I don't know the margin of error on a poll like that, but those numbers are pretty darn tight. And then there's sales numbers. Overall beer sales remained flat, while overall wine sales increased. Craft beer sales, on the other hand, rose in the double digits for something like the 3rd year running. All of which tells me one thing: Americans like to drink, and they are finally waking up to flavor and quality. (Hard to believe, eh?) The other beef I have with the Slate article is that it so denigrates beer as an "industrial" product. The fact is, beer and wine have a TON of qualities in common. I've written about these at my own blog, Bar Stories: http://barstories.blogspot.com/2007/05/pastoral-nostalgia-or-blue-collar-chic.html I'd love to know what you think. A lot of beer advocates don't seem to mind being compared t the better qualities of wine, but I don't see that love going both ways. I hope that can change... —Jess Well, I have to take serious issue with the Slate article. I am a huge fan of both beer and wine (I don’t discriminate!) and I’m continually stunned by the misunderstnading and misinformation that is constantly pumped out by both sides.

To speak directly to the “wine is more popular than beer” point that you mention, that statement is so misleading as to be false. The 2005 poll cited by Slate was upended in 2006, when the numbers flipped and beer once again became “more popular” than wine.

But let’s be honest: stats and polls are awfully easy to manipulate. For example, that 2006 gallup poll declares that 41% of respondents prefer beer while 33% prefer wine. I don’t know the margin of error on a poll like that, but those numbers are pretty darn tight. And then there’s sales numbers. Overall beer sales remained flat, while overall wine sales increased. Craft beer sales, on the other hand, rose in the double digits for something like the 3rd year running. All of which tells me one thing: Americans like to drink, and they are finally waking up to flavor and quality. (Hard to believe, eh?)

The other beef I have with the Slate article is that it so denigrates beer as an “industrial” product. The fact is, beer and wine have a TON of qualities in common. I’ve written about these at my own blog, Bar Stories:

http://barstories.blogspot.com/2007/05/pastoral-nostalgia-or-blue-collar-chic.html

I’d love to know what you think. A lot of beer advocates don’t seem to mind being compared t the better qualities of wine, but I don’t see that love going both ways. I hope that can change…

—Jess

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